Weird Can Be Wonderful
by lunavalentine
Summary: Hermione returns to Hogwarts to study for her NEWTS. However, she learns much more about herself thanks to her odd blonde friend, Luna. Feedback appreciated, the cover is my own artwork. [ Luna x Hermione / femslash - * DISCLAIMER * I (unfortunately) own none of the characters in this story, only the dream that Luna and Hermione would work, all rights belong to JK Rowling. ]
1. Accident at the Owlery

A wave of tranquillity spread through Hermione as she reclaimed her regular seat in the library. She never thought that she could love the smell of fresh parchment and new books more than she already had, but returning to Hogwarts after the war had given her a deeper appreciation for these simple pleasures. Classes didn't commence until the following day, but it was out of character for Hermione to waste a potentially productive afternoon idly discussing the summer with fellow students. Besides, it was not one any of them wished to relive. Her thoughts went to the fallen wizards and witches she had come to call friends. Feeling her heart ache slightly, she quickly opened her brand new grade seven copy of 'The Standard Book of Spells' by Miranda Goshawk. Her love of learning would serve as a great comfort through what she suspected to be quite a lonely year ahead.

Life in Hogwarts after the war was so vastly different than the memories she looked back on so fondly. Hermione had realised that it would be, that was inevitable. However, she forgot to take into account the fact that her best friends may not be so eager to return. Harry and Ron had jumped on the chance to become Aurors right after the defeat of He Who Must Not Be Named. Naturally, after defeating the Dark Lord himself, they were seen as more than qualified in their chosen profession. Hermione, being the academic genius she is, desired to complete her studies at Hogwarts, and returned alone that day to commence her final year so she could finally sit her NEWTS.

A tap on the shoulder startled Hermione back to reality. She glanced up to see the librarian, Ms. Pince, smiling fondly at her. The library itself was dark and deserted. The white glow of moonlight pouring in through the large ornate windows suggested that she had, once again, become so lost in her love of knowledge that she was out of the common room past curfew.

"Your dedication to learning will never cease to amaze me, Ms. Granger!" said Ms. Pince, "However, I do fear that you will damage your lovely eyes should you continue to strain them as much as you do. Go and get some rest, and I'm sure I will see you again tomorrow."

"Thank you, Ms. Pince, it's good to see you again," smiled Hermione, "Goodnight."

With that, the librarian left Hermione to gather her belongings. She watched the older woman as she exited the library, only stopping to rearrange some untidy books. It felt good to be back to normality.

As she walked towards Griffindor common room, she became overly aware of the emptiness of the castle. Due to damages caused by the battle, only a select few who wished to complete their NEWTS had been allowed back into Hogwarts, resulting in less than thirty students returning. Slowing her pace, she decided to take the long route back. She was already late, so an extra few minutes wouldn't make much of a difference. She was the only female Griffindor in Hogwarts anyway, so nobody would miss her.

Rummaging in her bag as she walked, Hermione extracted a letter she wrote for Ginny and headed towards the Owlery. She was grateful that the Weasley girl wished to keep contact with her despite her break up with Ronald. Their romance had been a fleeting passion followed by a harsh sting of reality. During the war, the found comfort and solace in each other. Unfortunately, once the celebrations ceased and life went back to normal, their relationship lacked substance. Hermione's attraction to Ronald faded quite quickly once she realised that the deepest conversation she could possibly have with him was about his devotion to the Chudley Canons. She needed intellectual stimulation, and Quidditch statistics certainly couldn't offer her that. He took the news badly at first, but a fiery reconciliation with Lavender Brown soon took the sting from his damaged ego.

She smirked to herself thinking about that ridiculous girl. She never thought there would be a day where she would actually be glad of Lavender's obsession with Ronald. Life really does have a funny way of making things work out, she thought. Gazing up at the moonlit sky as she walked, Hermione was unaware of the large wooden door of the Owlery opening until it hit her square in the face, the shock landing her flat on the ground, right hand clutching her throbbing mouth.

"Hermione!"

The dazed girl looked up to see a flurry of white blonde hair coming towards her. She felt a warm, soft hand catch her free hand and another around her waist before being pulled to her feet.

"Oh dear, Hermione, it's not like you to not pay attention. I suspect you may have Wrackspurts in your ears."

"Wrackspurts? What?"

"They're invisible creatures that float into your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. You should be careful, an intelligent girl like you wouldn't want that happening."

Hermione moved her hand from her mouth to rub her eyes, finally coming to her senses. That vague and dreamy voice was unmistakeable. Besides, who else would come out with such a ridiculous statement?

"Luna, I –"

"Oh dear, you've burst your lip! I'm terribly sorry, Hermione," she said wistfully as she reached for the brunette's mouth and wiped the blood with her thumb, "I'm usually quite alone at this time of night, so I don't take notice of how quickly I open doors."

Hermione was taken aback by the sadness in the huge cerulean blue eyes staring regretfully at her slightly swollen lip. Suddenly she became aware of their closeness. Luna's hand has remained on her waist, her face only inches away… Those eyes looked as though they contained the depths of the sea itself.

"It's quite alright, Luna," stammered Hermione as she took a step back, feeling quite flustered, "I really shouldn't be out this late anyway. Come to think of it, neither should you! Why are you here?"

To Hermione's relief, Luna's expression returned to its calm and dreamy state as she turned her gaze to several owls flying overhead.

"I like to come down here at night to feed the owls." Luna's expression darkened slightly, "Some witches and wizards seem to think they are beneath us. They let their owls become quite malnourished. I don't understand why anyone would mistreat the creature that they rely on to carry the precious thoughts that once lay in their mind, their deepest emotions…"

Luna's voiced trailed off as she lost herself in thought. Hermione felt a warmth in her chest as she pondered the blonde's profound thought. She was quite surprised that Luna could come out with such an intelligent statement. Then again, Ravenclaw house was known for its bright witches and wizards. Perhaps, despite Luna's silliness, she had underestimated the blonde.

"Accio letter!" Luna's airy voice echoed quietly through the empty court yard like a ghost. "I'll give this to my owl for Ginny, it's the least I can do to apologise for damaging your pretty face."

Hermione blushed at the compliment. She had completely forgotten why she had been at the Owlery in the first place.

"Thank you, Luna. That would be great."

The blonde beamed before skipping back into the Owlery. Hermione remained motionless, willing her flushed cheeks to return to their normal colour. Why was she even blushing?

Before she had time to answer her own question, Luna had returned. She bounced over to Hermione, lacing her fingers through the brunette's to lead her back inside.

"Your letter is on the way to the Burrow, and now Hermione must be on her way to bed before any more damage can be done to her."

There they were again, those melancholy blue eyes. She didn't know why, but Hermione couldn't stand them. She stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, causing Luna to swing around, her eyes filled with urgency.

"Is Hermione alright?"

She took the worried blonde's other hand in hers, the silkiness of Luna's skin almost making her shiver. She didn't understand what she was feeling, but she'd worry about that later.

"I'm perfectly alright, Luna, honestly! Please don't feel so bad, it doesn't even hurt anymore."  
>Luna released Hermione's right hand so she could lick her thumb before brushing it lightly across the brunette's bottom lip. Hermione shuddered at her touch, the slight wetness on her lip causing her stomach to tie itself in knots. A look of concern took over Luna's face once again.<p>

"Oh dear, I've hurt you again," her lilted voice flooded with sadness, "I don't mean to hurt Hermione, I just wanted to wash away the mark I have left. It was terribly selfish of me."

"No, Luna, please," begged Hermione. She couldn't bear to look at that sad sea of blue any longer, "You aren't selfish, not at all, you just –"

"I assume you girls have a good reason to be wandering the corridors at this hour?"

The two sprung apart and turned swiftly to see Professor McGonagall marching towards them. They were caught.

"I'm sorry, Headmaster, we were just on our way to bed," explained Hermione, "It's my fault really, I had a bit of an accident because I wasn't being careful. Luna simply stopped to help me."

Professor McGonagall couldn't help but smile at the two witches.

"Alright, you two, but this is your first and last warning! The rules may have been quite lenient last year but we are back to normality now so don't make a habit of this. Now, off with you! Goodnight."

They watched as the Headmaster transformed into a cat and disappeared into the shadows created by the solid stone walls of the castle.

They walked silently towards Griffindor common room. Hermione knew that Luna would insist on walking her the full way, so she didn't even try to object. If it kept that sadness out of her blue eyes, she'd let Luna walk her all the way back to London. She tried to read Luna's expression, but long strands of blonde hair hid her porcelain face. She stopped once again when they arrived at the stairs below the Fat Lady's portrait, and they both sat down on the first step. Luna looked across at Hermione, her cerulean eyes glistening in the moonlight. Luna's eyes possessed a hypnotic quality that took the brunette by surprise. She found herself somewhat breathless.

"Thank you for walking me, Luna," she whispered, "and please don't feel sorry about my lip, it was an accident, and mainly my fault. It will be better soon, promise."

Hermione watched as those blue eyes once again returned to her bloody lip with such regret. She felt her heart ache inside her chest.

"To tarnish a thing of such beauty feels like an almost unforgivable crime," Luna's sad singsong voice floated through the empty corridor, "but if Hermione wishes that I don't feel sorry, then I will simply make amends as much as I can and do my best to forget."

Before Hermione could say another word, the warmth from the blonde's soft hands was radiating through her face. She looked at Luna, whose face was mere inches from her own. Hermione didn't know why, but she didn't stop it. Looking back on it later, she realised that she simply couldn't. A shiver ran through her whole body like an electric current as the blonde's lips met hers in a delicate, lingering kiss. She slowly opened her hazel eyes to see a trace of a smile cross Luna's face through the silky hair that fell like a shroud from her bowed head.

"Goodnight, Hermione. I hope that helped."

Hermione remained seated at the bottom of the stairs, watching the blonde disappear into the shadows towards the Ravenclaw common room. The sweet smell of Luna's honeyed breath lingered with her. After taking a while to gather her thoughts, Hermione picked up her text books before turning to approach the Fat Lady. The days of fighting the Dark Lord were over, but Hermione began to wonder if a whole other kind of adventure was in store for her at Hogwarts.

Secretly, she hoped she was right.


	2. Unknown Depths

Hermione tossed and turned for hours that night until she finally gave up on the idea of sleeping, instead summoning her potions book to give herself a head start on her first class of the day. Words and equations swam about the page, not a single one entering her brain. Frustrated, she threw herself back on her pillow, her thoughts lingering on the kiss she'd shared with the Ravenclaw girl just hours beforehand. What did it mean? Luna was odd at the best of times, Hermione thought, the kiss probably meant nothing more than an apology. Had she wounded her hand, Luna would have probably just kissed that. She meant nothing by it.

The Griffindor groaned as she covered her face in her hands, truly exasperated by these late night thoughts. What had the kiss meant to her? That was the real question. She had never kissed another girl before, let alone Luna Lovegood of all people… The quirky blonde infuriated the logical side of Hermione to no end on a regular basis. She had never even come close to understanding her. She began to wonder if that was why she had always given Luna such a wide birth. She had been quite rude to her more than once. A pang of guilt surged through her system. Hermione decided to apologise to the younger girl for her defensive behaviour. It wasn't Luna's fault that she felt threatened by what was unknown to her.

Hermione actively searched the halls as she travelled from one class to the next, but Luna was nowhere to be seen. She did her best to immerse herself in her studies during class, but her lack of questions for her professors raised eyebrows among them. It was silly of her to be worrying about the younger girl, but she couldn't help it. What if she visited more than just the owls at night? What if she'd taken a detour on her way back to Ravenclaw common room last night? What if she'd been hurt by one of those outlandish creatures she so fondly spoke of? Hermione shook her head in disgust. They do not exist, pull yourself together Hermione, she thought, you will see Luna later and she will be just fine. Dismissing any counter arguments her brain had at the ready, Hermione took out some parchment and wrote yet another letter to her friend.

_Ginny,_

_I know we agreed to write once a week but this couldn't wait! Can you meet me in Hogsmeade tomorrow? I realise that this is incredibly short notice, and for that I apologise, but I need to discuss something with you before I go insane._

_Please don't bring Harry with you, I love him dearly but this is not information I wish to divulge with anyone else just yet. Hope to see you tomorrow! I'll be waiting for you in the Three Broomsticks at one o' clock._

_Hermione._

__Folding the parchment carefully, she sighed and sealed it in a small envelope before addressing it to the Weasley girl before making her way out to the Owlery. She took extra caution on approaching the large wooden door, but couldn't understand her disappointment when it didn't swing open to hit her. Did she really want to see Luna that badly? Calling to a tawny owl that was preening itself on the rafters of the building, she couldn't help but smile as she was reminded of Luna's caring nature. She fished half of a pumpkin pasty out of her pocket, unwrapping it as a gift for the owl before tying her letter to its leg. The owl hooted gratefully before taking off and disappearing through the windows above her. She wondered what Ginny would make of her predicament.

The courtyard was quiet as the sun began to set. Everyone would be in the Great Hall for dinner, she thought. Not feeling particularly hungry herself, Hermione took the opportunity to go for a walk along the lake. The picturesque landscape of Hogwarts always soothed her when she felt any way overwhelmed. The setting sun cast a magnificent glow across the calm water of the lake, making it seem as though the creatures within its depths swam in liquid gold. For a moment, the brunette stared at the lapping motion of the water, wishing she was a mermaid simply so she could hide at the very bottom of the lake to escape the thoughts that haunted her.

A soft humming made her aware of her surroundings once again. She quietly stepped towards the melody, curiosity overriding all of her senses as she climbed up over a tall pile of rubble leftover from the battle. She couldn't stifle the gasp that escaped her lips when she saw the source of the humming… Luna.

There she stood, her porcelain skin glowing in the remaining sunlight, giving her an almost ethereal presence. She had clearly just emerged from the lake, her long blonde hair sticking to her body, the only cover for her bare breasts, and a towel hanging loosely on her tiny hips. She looked up and met Hermione's gaze, smiling thoughtfully before beckoning her down to join her. Cheeks burning red, the brunette almost fell down from the rubble as she attempted to descend the pile. Luna's eyes darkened, concern taking over once more.

"If Hermione hurts herself again, I shall feel guilty forever."

"Luna, I'm so sorry, I – I wasn't looking at you. I mean, I was, but I didn't – "

"It's quite alright, Hermione, I know you weren't following me," the blonde stated dreamily as she took a pair of shorts from a bag she had discarded beside the lake, "We simply keep meeting in a series of happy coincidences. I hope that doesn't change."

Hermione remained speechless as Luna pulled the shorts on under her towel. Realising that she was staring, she diverted her eyes out towards the lake.

"What is it you were doing, Luna?" she asked quietly, trying to hide the breathlessness in her voice. She shuddered as, once again, Luna's soft fingers were entwined with hers and she was being lead towards the water. Her close proximity to the shirtless blonde sent her heart into panic mode.

Luna pointed out towards some undistinguishable objects floating in the middle of the lake, still holding onto the shaking brunette's hand.

"I take food from the Great Hall and offer it to the merpeople every night. I've done it ever since the Triwizard Tournament…" Luna trailed off, contemplating her own actions before turning to look at Hermione with an intense gaze, "I know it was part of the games, but I can't stand the thought that maybe the merpeople would take anyone I care about ever again, so I bring them food to show them that witches and wizards mean no harm."

"Luna, that's so…" it was Hermione's turn to let her voice trail off as her thoughts returned to that terrifying day that she herself had been submerged in the ominous depths of that very lake. She smiled weakly at the blonde before continuing, "It's so… You."

"Are you cold? You appear to be shaking an awful lot."

No. Not those sad eyes, not again. Without even taking a moment to consider the fact that Luna wasn't dressed, Hermione enveloped her in a warm hug.

"I'm perfectly fine, Luna, never been better really."

Luna hesitated a moment before returning the embrace. Suddenly becoming overly aware of her nakedness, she released Hermione and hurriedly rummaged through her bag once again to find her shirt. She was never one to be uncomfortable with exposure, and Hermione could see that she had caused the younger girl's confusion.

"Luna, I'm sorry, I –"

"No need to worry, Hermione, I'm just cold and it's getting late. Better get back to the common room before the Nargles come out. They're nocturnal, you know."

Before Hermione could even open her mouth, Luna scampered off, her blonde hair vanishing into the night. She turned her gaze to the food bobbing on the lazy lapping water. She was just about to turn to go when there was a mighty splash and gleam of scales in the moonlight. With that, the food was gone. Amazing creatures, she thought to herself as she absorbed her beautiful surroundings once more before returning to Griffindor common room.

Hermione was beginning to realise that, like the depths of the lake, there was a lot more to Luna Lovegood than what lay on the surface. Closing her eyes, she hoped that Ginny could give her more insight into the curious blonde. Luna was an enigma, and Hermione wanted to be be the one to solve that mystery.


	3. Fact or Freedom?

Hermione grumbled to herself as she attempted to tame her curly mane of brunette hair. She was due to leave for Hogsmeade in under an hour, and she hadn't gotten breakfast yet. Choosing food over her appearance, she gave up and tied her hair back in a ponytail and made her way to the Great Hall. She wasn't accustomed to rushing around, being organised by nature, but another sleepless night had left her exhausted. She hoped that talking to Ginny would settle her crowded thoughts.

The Great Hall was uncomfortably empty when she arrived, but it always was these days. McGonagall has thought it best to replace the house tables with a singular one. The lonely table was occupied by only a small group of Slytherins and two Hufflepuffs. Hermione, choosing to sit half way between the two, began to scoff down some delicious bacon and pancakes. She had no time to savour them, as she only had a few minutes remaining before she would be late. Wiping her face quickly, she dashed back out the door and towards the designated rendezvous point for the trip. She was just rounding the corner when –

"Oof!"

Hermione scrambled to gather the fallen Ravenclaw's books before realising that she should have probably helped her up first. She quickly dropped the books and crouched down to where the blonde was now sat upright.

"Luna, I'm so sorry, are you hurt? I cannot believe I've bumped into you again!" Hermione groaned, "I really do have to learn to watch where I'm going."

"I'm alright, Hermione," said Luna dreamily as her distant gaze focused on the brunettes face, "However, it would appear that you are not. You've got maple syrup on your chin."

Failing in her attempt to avoid blushing, Hermione bowed her head and wiped away the syrup. Embarrassment evident across her cheeks, she shyly peered up at Luna, who was now standing upright again. She accepted the blonde's outstretched hand and hoisted herself up.

"Thank you… You must think that I'm such an idiot. I'm not normally so clumsy, it's just –"

"I do not that that Hermione is an idiot. I think that Hermione is brilliant."

The brunette's rosy cheeks turned to a deep shade of red. Luna watched on, her usual serene expression replaced by an even more pleasant one. It was evident that she enjoyed flattering the Griffindor, who had yet to let go of her hand.

"I – I'm sorry, Luna, I have to go and meet Ginny in Hogsmeade and I'm already late as it is…"

"Goodbye, Hermione, do try to be careful until we meet again!"

With that, the blonde turned on her heels and skipped off down the corridor. Hermione clenched her hand into a fist in a pathetic attempt to hold onto the warmth left behind from Luna's touch. What had she gotten herself into? Books she knew, this she did not. On that note, she rushed to join the group attending the trip to Hogsmeade, silently praying that Ginny could sort out the mess that was her emotions.

"Luna? Luna Lovegood?"

Hermione sighed. This was the third time Ginny had asked. With each reply the youngest Weasley appeared to become more shocked.

"…Luna?" repeated the red-head, her eyebrows so raised at this point that they were no longer visible under her fringe.

"Yes! Luna, Luna Lovegood! Honestly, Ginny, must I repeat myself again?" exclaimed Hermione, utterly exasperated, "Is it so hard to believe?"

Ginny paused to study Hermione's expression while she pondered on this newly received information. Feeling awkward, the brunette stared down into her glass of butter beer before draining the bottom of it.

"It's just that… I don't remember you ever willingly giving Luna the time of day before. In fact, if I remember correctly, you used to refer to her as 'Loony' Lovegood! I mean, it's great that you're getting along now, but is this a rebound from Ron? Is she an experiment?"

Hermione flinched as she remembered how ignorant she had been towards Luna. Even if the blonde had feelings for her, she deserved much better than someone who called her names.

"She's not a rebound or an experiment, Ginny…" Hermione's voice hushed as she thought about what Luna meant to her. Taking a deep breath, she looked her friend in the eye and said, "I don't know what she is. My head is a mess right now, simply because nobody has ever made me feel this way and I don't understand it. I need your help. You're her friend, help me understand her."

"You're right, she is my friend. Hermione, I love you dearly, you know that, but if you hurt her –"

"I don't want to hurt her, not in the slightest! I can't cope with seeing her sad at all, it breaks my heart… Look, Ginny, I have feelings for her, feelings that scare me. I don't care that she's female and I don't care what anyone else thinks either, but I need to know how she feels. I need to know if the kiss meant anything to her. That I care about, because that's important. I need to know."

Ginny reached across the table and placed her hand on hers. She knew how Hermione was feeling all too well, having almost driven herself mad with her feelings for Harry for several years.

"You'll never know if you don't take the risk and try."

Hermione smiled weakly at her friend, her stomach doing back flips at the mere thought of telling Luna how she felt about her. Sensing this, Ginny squeezed her hand lightly.

"How can I do it Ginny? Where do I begin? I couldn't possibly approach her and say 'Oh hey there, Luna, the only reason I was such a rude prat to you all these years, aside from your talk of ridiculous creatures, was because I had a crush on you, and now my feelings have become much stronger so please disregard my ignorance and go on a date with me'? This is all so illogical! How did this happen?"

"Luna is one of the most understanding, insightful human beings I have ever met," replied Ginny softly, "Regardless of how she feels, it will be okay. She'll appreciate your honesty."

Releasing Hermione's hand, Ginny picked up her butter beer and finished it off in one large gulp. Hermione snickered at her friend, who was now sporting a white foamy moustache. Ginny narrowed her eyes jokingly at her before wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"Thank you for this, Ginny," smiled Hermione, "I needed this."

"No problem, 'Mione," she replied, "Just remember, your heart is very different to your brain. Let go of logic and trust your instinct. Luna is extremely intelligent but she follow her heart, and that's why she is so free."

"I'd never thought about it that way," said Hermione, finding herself with a new found admiration for the quirky blonde. She could only wish that one day she would be that free.

They stood up to leave the Three Broomsticks and walked out onto the bustling street. Hermione turned and caught Ginny and a tight hug.

"This has been really great, Gin. I'll see you soon, okay? I've missed you, Harry too. You can bring him next time."

"Maybe it'll be a double date next time?" said Ginny cheekily. Letting her friend go, she could see that Hermione was now bright red at the thoughts.

"Shut up, Ginny! Don't be ridiculous!" Hermione attempted to glare at her friend, but broke out into a smile. "I'll see you soon. Write to me!"

"Bye 'Mione, I will. Keep me up to date about this!"

Hermione checked the time. She still had a half hour to spare. Brilliant, she thought as she made her way to the book store. Delving through an array of ancient rune books, she almost squealed as she discovered a copy of her favourite Ancient Rune book that she'd lost at the beginning of summer. Caught up in the happiness of her find, she pranced to the check out in a very Luna-like manner. As she stood in the queue, Hermione glanced around her. A rack of magazines was placed beside the cashier. She scanned the titles; 'Witch Weekly', 'The Secrets of Muggle Inventions', 'Magical Creatures and Me'… The last one caught her eye, and not just because of its gaudy cover.

"Next, please."

Hermione jumped. The middle-aged witch was looking at her impatiently. Without thinking, she snatched up a copy of 'The Quibbler' and made her way over to the check out.

"Thank you!"

She took her purchases and shoved them in her bag before hurrying out of the shop to meet up with the rest of the students who went to Hogsmeade. When she got back to Hogwarts, she went straight to her dorm and started to reread 'Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms' since it had been over three months since she had last read the wonderful book. It wasn't quite the same, as she was particularly fond of her original copy. This one was nice, it just lacked a certain something… Her own notes, to be precise. She hadn't even gotten through the first chapter when she put the book back down. She looked down at her bag, which was strewn on the floor beside her bed. It lay there open, her newly purchased magazine peeking out from inside it. The gaudy red font of 'The Quibbler' kept catching her eye.

Sighing, she stretched down and picked it up. She studied the cover carefully, subconsciously scrunching up her nose as she read about the twelve page report on recent sightings of the Blibbering Humdinger that lay inside. Why had she bought this again? She was about to throw it out when she remembered what Ginny had said to her, "let go of logic". If she wanted to understand Luna, she'd have to embrace what she loved. With that in mind, Hermione opened the first page.

'Be prepared for Nargles in advance this Christmas!'

Typical.


	4. Charming

Luna hummed quietly to herself as she watched a crispy auburn leaf floating in the breeze outside the window of Charms class. She was even more distracted than usual today. She pouted slightly as the leaf fell out of her line of sight. Such a pretty leaf, she thought. She turned her attention to the book in front of her, tracing her index finger along the faded golden font that read 'The Standard Book of Spells'. She sighed. Anyone could see that the old charms book had been studied a thousand times, its once bright red cover worn and torn by the hands that held it over the years, revealing the original cover beneath the faded paper.

Her father offered to buy her a new one, but Luna could never replace her mother's old books. They were all she had left of her. Besides, she loved to read the notes she had added into the textbook. Aside from the fact that the evident similarity in her own rounded handwriting gave her some comfort, her input was most helpful. Her mother really had been an incredibly bright witch.

"Miss Lovegood!"

A few students snickered as Luna jumped, knocking her ink to the ground. Professor Flitwick groaned impatiently.

"If you are quite done delaying my class, Miss Lovegood, I would be grateful if you would listen to my instructions, or is that too much to ask of you?"

"Sorry, Professor…" Luna mumbled as turned to clean up her mess.

"You can fix that after I'm finished speaking! As I was saying, you must pair up for this assignment. I want you to research and practice three charms of your choice. I want at least three inches of parchment on each charm on my desk at the beginning of class next week. Now, there are five minutes of class remaining so use that time to find a partner!"

Luna resumed her cleaning. She didn't look for a partner because she knew nobody would want to pair up with her anyway. She didn't mind, of course, she enjoyed being herself and felt sorry for those too self-conscious to stand out and be themselves. Either way, she was quite content in her own company. Focusing on the mess of ink and glass before her once again, Luna fumbled around for her wand to aid her in her clean up.

"Reparo!"

Luna froze. The owner of that familiar voice may as well have cast an Immobulus charm on her. She silently looked on as the shards of glass that lay scattered on the inky ground before her turned into a solid ink bottle once again.

"Scourgify!"

Luna watched on as the ink vanished from sight. Finally, she turned her wide eyes to the source of the spells. Hermione stood just a meter behind her, smiling weakly.

"Sorry about your ink, Luna," she said, "It was left on the ground too long, most of it was dried into the stone anyway."

"That's quite alright, Hermione," replied Luna in her usual musical tone, "Thank you for helping me. I really should be more careful, I'm not usually so clumsy… Perhaps some of your Wrackspurts have taking a liking to my brain. Yes, that makes sense…"

Concentrate, Luna, she thought to herself. She wished she wasn't so easily distracted sometimes. Being the outcast of Ravenclaw had only worsened her already short attention span, as it was better to zone out to the protection of her thoughts when witches or wizards decided to be nasty. She much preferred her dreamland… There you go again, snap out of it. Hermione is a lovely witch, focus on her, she silently argued with herself.

"Luna? Are you okay?"

She glanced up dreamily to find Hermione's hazel eyes filled with concern. Luna stood up, but still wasn't quite eye level with the taller girl. She picked up her bag and quickly stuffed her belongings into it before slinging it on her shoulder.

"I'm fine, Hermione, skipping a school year has just made Charms considerably more difficult," she explained as she studied the brunette. Her hair was bushier than usual, and her eyes were dark with fatigue. "Is Hermione okay?"

The older girl rubbed eyes, now aware that she was noticeable tired. She smiled at Luna again, making the blonde feel as though a family of fairies were fluttering around in her stomach. Even when she was exhausted, the witch was still stunning.

"I'm fine, thank you, Luna," she replied, "I just haven't been sleeping very well. I can help you with your Charms if you'd like. We could pair up for Flitwick's project."

"That would be lovely, Hermione, thank you," Luna said, unable to repress a grin, "But I am surprised you don't already have a partner. Surely anyone would stampede to ask the brightest witch in our year to pair up with them?"

Luna smirked as she noticed a shade of pink creeping into Hermione's cheeks. She took great pleasure in flattering people, but particularly the witch stood in front of her.

"I'll take that as a yes then. Have you any other classes to attend today?"

"No, I'm finished for the afternoon."

"Wonderful. Well then, should we get started?"

Luna nodded and followed Hermione to the library. They placed their bags down at Hermione's usual desk of choice before searching for charm books.

"We need to find three charms to study and execute. Let me know if you come across anything you find interesting." Hermione instructed her before plucking a rather dated looking black book from the shelf.

Luna traced her fingers along the spine of each book, observing the different lettering on each title. A particularly battered purple book took her fancy, so she took it from the shelf and sat cross legged on the floor, leaning against the desk that Hermione was already seated at with a stack of five books. She was so absorbed in her reading that she didn't even notice that Luna's book had nothing to do with charms. Why was this book so familiar to her?

Once again, Luna traced the silver lettering on the title cover. She knew the title, of course, but that wasn't what made it so familiar. The cover was different. She had never seen a copy of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' in this style before. She traced the silver title again, her finger gliding easily with the familiar font. Luna caught her breath as her distracted mind suddenly came to life. She shakily opened the book, the inside of the purple cover tattered ever so slightly, revealing the true cover lying beneath it. Slowly turning her gaze to the first page, her eyes widening as they absorbed the rounded writing so familiar to her own. Luna breathed out the name so weakly that it was scarcely audible.

"Pandora…"

She quickly turned to the next page, her blue eyes welling up as she saw her mother's notes strewn across the textbook. How did it end up in the library? When did she lose it? A surge of emotions pulsed through the blonde as she turned each page, suddenly desperate to learn all of her mother's thoughts and opinions. She hadn't felt like this since the first time she read her Charms book. Perhaps there were more of her books in the castle? Her eyes welled up at the thought of pieces of her mother that could be scattered throughout Hogwarts.

"Luna? You're shaking… Are you alright?"

Luna shook her head, making sure to keep her head turned away from her friend. "I'm okay, Hermione, just reading a book."

She may have avoided eye contact, but Luna's wavering voice gave her away. She jumped as a warm hand gripped her shoulder. She looked up from underneath her veil of dirty blonde hair to see Hermione kneeling in front of her, a look of concern covering her pretty face once again.

"Luna…"

A large tear drop splashed onto a page of the precious book. Luna hugged it tightly as if to will the memory of her mother to hug her back.

"It was my mother's book… She must have left it here by accident when she attended Hogwarts. I have one, her Charms textbook, but to find a new one? I –"

A sudden warmth enveloped her, gripping her firmly until her shaking stopped and her breathing steadied. The sweet scent of raspberries floated around her. Luna inhaled deeply before fully realising that the source of the aroma was in fact the brunette hair that was now tickling her face. This was the second time Hermione had hugged her like that. Luna couldn't even attempt to hug her back; her arms were wrapped around the book, trapped by the pressure of the older girl's body against hers. After a few minutes, the Gryffindor loosened her grip on the blonde and sat back on her haunches, one hand remaining on Luna's shoulder.

"Although it isn't the same, I can empathise with you in ways... For the time that I didn't have my parents, I found myself so desperate to cling onto any fragments of them I had left. I know, of course, that it is vastly different but if you do ever want someone to talk to, I am here, Luna."

Luna dragged her teary eyes away from the book long enough to look up at Hermione through strands of her dampened blonde hair. She wiped her now stinging cheeks and pushed her hair back out of her face.

"Thank you."

There is was again, the look that always confused Luna. Hermione's hazel eyes were brimming with fear. What was she so afraid of?

"I mean it."

The sleeve of Hermione's jumper soothed Luna's raw cheek as it absorbed a single tear that had escaped from the vast seas of her blue eyes. Once again, their eyes locked and there was that same fearful look. Luna couldn't bear it any longer.

"Hermione, why are you so afraid?"

Her question fell on deaf ears. She looked at the Gryffindor, whose gaze was no longer meeting her own. Luna once again felt the soft cuff of Hermione's sleeve against her face, but this time she wasn't crying.

"Hermione?"

The brunette's expression changed as she read her name falling from Luna's lips. The Ravenclaw didn't even have time to react before she was overwhelmed by the scent of raspberries and that warmth of Hermione's soft lips pressed against hers. It was the kind of lingering kiss that gave those involved time to absorb every last detail. One by one, each muscle in Luna's body relaxed until she was aware of nothing else in the world but the comfort of Hermione's actions.

"Merlin's beard! Who is that over there?"

Like that, she was gone. Luna turned around just fast enough to see Hermione bolt through the door. She turned back around to see a group of students from her own house looming over her.

"Loony Lovegood the lesbian… Of course. Who was that?"

Luna calmly stood up, making sure that her mother's book was safely tucked in with the rest of her belongings in her bag. She feigned her usual dreamy expression and smiled pleasantly at the Ravenclaws.

"She's the prettiest witch in the whole castle."

Saying nothing more, Luna skipped out of the library. She held it together long enough to get back to her bed. Eyes welling up with tears, she placed both of her mother's books under her pillow. Her mind was racing. Why had Hermione run off like that? And why did it bother her so much? She sighed as she rolled over in bed, pulling her duvet tighter around her as she did so. A silent tear trickled across her pale cheek. She'd unintentionally let her guard down with Hermione. She closed her eyes and prayed that it wasn't a critical mistake.


	5. Panic

She kissed Luna. She had kissed Luna and run away.

Hermione splashed water onto her face and stared at the tiny serpent on the tap, thinking back on the adventures that lay underneath. She had been brave enough to help defeat a Basilisk when she was just twelve years old, but now, approaching her twenties, Hermione had run away from some Ravenclaw students. Pathetic.

She heard the ancient sewage pipes groan over by the cubicles, and hurried out the door before Moaning Myrtle appeared to torment her. Leaning her back against the cold stone wall, she grimaced as she recalled the brief look of confusion and inadequacy swimming through the blue of Luna's eyes before her neutral dreamy expression washed it away like it always did. Luna's defence mechanism. Hermione had noticed it a long time ago, but she'd never been brave enough to ask what was wrong any time she saw it. She'd always been too scared of the answer. The thoughts of her feeling down made Hermione feel so lost. She felt even worse than that now that she had caused it. Had she been running from several Ravenclaw students, or just one? Certainly the others startled her but not to the extent that she would run away. However, the fright may have kick started her brain, which had temporarily been overrun by her emotions…

She had to apologise.

Hermione dashed back to the library and burst through the heavy doors with a loud bang, causing Ms Pince to jump so much that she dropped the book she was reading.

"Ms Granger! Is everything alright?"

"Luna - Luna Lovegood, is she here? It's urgent."

"I'm afraid she left some time ago dear. She looked a little out of sorts, I expect it was to do with finding her mother's book. She said you helped her find it? It is good she has a friend in you. I haven't seen her with company very often."

"Yes, er – of course. Thank you, but if you'll excuse me I must go and find her."

"Good luck, dear!"

With that, Hermione turned on her heels and exited as quickly as she had come in. Where would she have gone? Surely not the Ravenclaw dormitory? Come on, she urged her brain, think. The owlery? No, she'd been there earlier… No doubt she was outside somewhere. Hermione began to run around the grounds as she wrecked her mind for an answer. Skidding to a halt, she turned around and went in the direction of the lake. Luna brought food to the merpeople every day, so surely that's where she would be right now. She sprinted as quickly as she could, silently begging that she was right.

Hermione got there just in time to see the scaled, elusive creature surge up from the depths of the water to claim the offerings left by the thoughtful Ravenclaw. She desperately scanned the circumference of the lake, praying that she would see Luna's long mane of blonde hair glowing in the moonlight. A wispy vapour floated up from her lips as she sighed heavily, disappearing as it rose to greet the setting sun. Luna was nowhere to be seen.

The Gryffindor's luck didn't change when she arrived at the owlery. She wasn't surprised, as she knew that Luna had already paid her visit there earlier in the day so it was illogical, but all the same it was the only other place she could think of. Accepting that Luna had retreated to her dormitory, Hermione reluctantly trudged back to her own. She stifled a sob. Luna probably never wanted to see her again. The Fat Lady looked at her, feigning concern, but one scowl from Hermione stopped any oncoming questions in their tracks. She knew better than to confide in a nosy portrait.

"Hungry hippogriffs."

She entered the common room, avoiding eye contact with the two Gryffindor boys sat by the fire and heading directly to the comfort of her four-poster bed. She threw herself face down on the soft mattress and allowed herself to finally cry about how utterly stupid she had been. After all these years and every rude thing she had said to Luna, this was by far the worst thing she had ever done. She'd never wanted to hurt her, and just as she'd become close to the blonde, she couldn't help but go and ruin it. She always ruined everything and now Luna hated her, and was probably feeling awful about herself. How could she have done such an awful thing to such a wonderful person?

She dragged herself up towards her pillow and buried her face in it. She had kissed Luna, and Luna had kissed her back. She thought about the sadness in the blonde's eyes when she spoke of her mother, the urge she felt to rid her of such pain, the need to let her know she really cared… It was overwhelming. The kiss itself was unlike anything she'd previously experienced. Everything about it; the softness of Luna's lips, the tingling warmth of her breath against her face, the closeness… It made her constantly busy mind go silent for that moment. But how could she to approach Luna again? She had abandoned her right at the moment that Luna was feeling most vulnerable. She'd already broken her trust. Somehow she had to fix it, she had to make things right again.

Hauling herself up until she was sat upright, Hermione grabbed a quill and some parchment. There was no use in crying all night. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and once again requested a meeting with her younger but wiser friend. Hermione knew logic, she relished the knowledge stored in a book. Romance, however, was not her forte. Ginny was the reasonable one in that sense.

She scribbled down a message quickly before throwing her cloak over her shoulders and making a beeline for the owlery. She needed answers, and fast.


End file.
